Robin Leach, the London native who rose to stardom in the U.S . as host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous has died in Las Vegas. He was 76.
Leach suffered a stroke on Nov. 21, and had been hospitalized since then, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he worked as a celebrity columnist.
“Despite the past 10 months, what a beautiful life he had. Our Dad, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle and friend Robin Leach passed away peacefully last night at 1:50 a.m.,” Leach’s family said in a statement to the paper. “Everyone’s support and love over the past, almost one year, has been incredible and we are so grateful. Memorial arrangements to follow.”
Leach was born in London on Aug. 29, 1941. He began writing for his local paper, The Harrow Observer, at age 15. Three years later, he joined the Daily Mail as an editor at age 18.
He did some television reporting as well, but his big break came in 1984, when he created Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The syndicated series ran until 1995.
Leach moved to Las Vegas in 1999, where he wrote about celebrity events around the city for several different publications.
He joined the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2016 as an entertainment columnist.
